Home / Fishes / Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches / Danionidae / Giant danio
No federal permit to keepGiant danio
Devario aequipinnatus
Fishes › Carp, barbs, minnows, loaches (Cypriniformes) › Danionidae (Danios and rasboras)
The giant danio (Devario aequipinnatus) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Danionidae, native to parts of South and Southeast Asia.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 36 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 5.9 in / 15 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 72–75°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6–8.
- Hardness: 5–19 dGH.
- Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 47 × 18 in (roughly 64 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 61–79 °F, pH 6–8, 2–15 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; suited to a community tank.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Prefers an aquarium set up to resemble a flowing stream or river with a substrate of variably-sized, water-worn rocks, sand, fine gravel and small boulders.”
- Diet: “The gut contents of wild specimens were found to contain mostly insects with the remainder plant material.”
- Tankmates: “Not an aggressive fish but may upset slow-moving or timid tankmates with its constant activity and vigorous feeding behaviour, and is therefore most appropriate for larger aquaria containing robust, similarly-sized fishes.”
- Breeding: “We're not aware of wild D.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Danios and rasboras
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: These Asian fishes occupy habitats ranging from zebra-danio pools and rice paddies to shaded harlequin streams, rocky Devario streams and planted galaxy-rasbora wetlands. [fg159-zebra, fg159-harlequin, fg159-giant, fg159-galaxy]. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Use at least 90 × 30 cm (36 × 12 in) for zebra danios.
- Harlequins require at least 60 × 30 cm (24 × 12 in), shaded planted cover and subdued light.
- Devario aequipinnatus needs at least 120 × 45 cm (48 × 18 in), oxygenated water, moderate flow and a tight lid.
- Galaxy rasboras need dense planting and broken sight lines in at least 45 × 30 cm (18 × 12 in), with gentle sponge filtration.
- Match chemistry: harlequins pH 5.0–7.5, 1–12 dGH; galaxy rasboras pH 6.5–7.5, 5–15 dGH.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 64.4–77°F |
Diet
- Quality flakes or granules sized to the fish.
- Live or frozen Daphnia and Artemia.
- Bloodworms for zebra danios, harlequins and Devario.
- Small sinking foods for galaxy rasboras, which rarely feed at the surface.
Social life
- Keep zebra danios and harlequins in groups of at least 8–10. Galaxy males spar: dense cover and larger groups distribute aggression. Active Devario can overwhelm timid feeders.
Health watch
- Pseudoloma microsporidiosis in zebra danios.
- Pleistophora infection and columnaris can produce similar white lesions in zebra danios.
- Nipped fins among rival galaxy males.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
With a maximum length of about 15 cm (5.9 in), it is one of the largest species in the family. It may be found in the aquarium trade.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Giant danio” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Adults inhabit hill streams up to an elevation of 300 m. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 72–75 °F (22–24 °C), pH 6–8, hardness 5–19 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–75 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 90°F (up to 102°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 53°F (down to 43°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 66–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 66–77% on average (driest month about 60%) |
| Rainfall | about 2200 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons |
Measured at 62 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | The fish spawn several times with small intervalls releasing 5-20 eggs each time. A prolific species laying over 1000 eggs. — FishBase |
| Biology | Adults inhabit hill streams up to an elevation of 300 m. Found in shaded, mid-hill clear waters with pebble or gravel substrates. They occur in schools at the surface in small high-gradient upland streams. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 18 in (about 64 US gallons).
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Tail Beat Synchronization during Schooling Requires a Functional Posterior Lateral Line System in Giant Danios, Devario aequipinnatus Mekdara PJ et al., Integrative and comparative biology 2021
- Toxic effect of environmental acid-stress on the sperm of a hill-stream fish Devario aequipinnatus: a scanning electron microscopic evaluation Dey S et al., Microscopy research and technique 2009
- Expansion of the Known Host Range of the Microsporidium, Pseudoloma neurophilia Sanders JL et al., Zebrafish 2016
- Dietary Melatonin Boosts Reproduction and Growth Performance of Ornamental Fish Giant Danio (Devario aequipinnatus): A Transformative Approach for Scrapping Wild-Caught Fish Business Samal K et al., Aquaculture nutrition 2025
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Zebra danio (Danio / Brachydanio rerio) Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Trigonostigma heteromorpha Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Devario aequipinnatus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Danio / Celestichthys margaritatus Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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